The present invention relates generally to a gateway device and, more particularly, to a universal network gateway for redirecting to a portal page a computer transparently accessing a service provider network.
In order for a computer to function properly in a network environment, the computer must be appropriately configured. Among other things, this configuration process establishes the protocol and other parameters by which the computer transmits and receives data. In one common example, a plurality of computers are networked to create a local area network (LAN). In the LAN, each computer must be appropriately configured in order to exchange data over the network. Since most networks are customized to meet a unique set of requirements, computers that are part of different networks are generally configured in different manners in order to appropriately communicate with their respective networks.
While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network for a substantial period of time, laptops, handhelds, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellphones or other portable computers (collectively xe2x80x9cportable computersxe2x80x9d) are specifically designed to be transportable. As such, portable computers are connected to different networks at different times depending upon the location of the computer. In a common example in which the portable computer serves as an employee""s desktop computer, the portable computer is configured to communicate with their employer""s network, i.e., the enterprise network. When the employee travels, however, the portable computer may be connected to different networks that communicate in different manners. In this regard, the employee may connect the portable computer to the network maintained by an airport, a hotel, a cellular telephone network operator or any other locale in order to access the enterprise network, the Internet or some other on-line service. The portable computer is also commonly brought to the employee""s residence where it is used to access various networks, such as, the enterprise network, a home network, the Internet and the like. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently, however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order to properly communicate with these other networks. Typically, this configuration is performed by the user each time the portable computer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, this repeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite time consuming, but is also prone to errors. The reconfiguration procedure may even be beyond the capabilities of many users or in violation of their employer""s IT policy. Importantly, special software must also typically be loaded onto the user""s computer to support reconfiguration.
As described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/111,497, 60/160,973, 60/161,189, 60/161,139, 60/160,890 and 60/161,182, a universal subscriber gateway device has been developed by Nomadix, Inc. of Westlake Village, Calif. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference. The gateway device serves as an interface connecting the user to a number of networks or other online services. For example, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to the Internet, the enterprise network, or other networks and/or on-line services. In addition to serving as a gateway, the gateway device automatically adapts to a computer, in order that it may communicate with the new network in a manner that is transparent both to the user and the new network. Once the gateway device has appropriately adapted to the user""s computer, the computer can appropriately communicate via the new network, such as the network at a hotel, at home, at an airport, or any other location, in order to access other networks, such as the enterprise network, or other online services, such as the Internet.
The portable computer user, and more specifically the remote or laptop user, benefits from being able to access a myriad of computer networks without having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-often daunting task of reconfiguring their host computer in accordance with network specific configurations. In addition, no additional software need be loaded onto the computer prior to connection to the other network. From another perspective, the network service provider benefits from avoiding xe2x80x9con-sitexe2x80x9d visits and/or technical support calls from the user who is unable to properly re-configure the portable computer. In this fashion, the gateway device is capable of providing more efficient network access and network maintenance to the user and the network operator.
Gateway devices are typically used to provide network access to the remote portable computer user, such as users in hotels, airports and other location where the remote portable computer user may reside. Additionally, gateway devices have found wide-spread use in multi-resident dwellings as a means of providing the residents an intranet that networks the residents, broadband Internet access and the capability to adapt to the variances of the resident""s individual enterprise network needs. With the advent of even smaller portable computing devices, such as handhelds, PDAs, and the like, the locations where these users may reside become almost limitless.
Through gateway devices Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or enterprise network (such as a LAN established by an entity such as a hotel) providers can permit a wide variety of users simple and transparent access to their networks and to other online services. To take advantage of transparent user access to their computer networks and online services enterprise networks or ISPs should be able to redirect users to portal pages that the enterprise or internet service providers wish the user to access or view. For instance, where users are located at an airport, the enterprise network administrator may wish to direct users to a portal page containing arrival and departure information, or to a portal page having the user""s itinerary thereon to provide the user an incentive to access the network. ISPs, for example, may wish users to access the ISPs portal page for up to the date news and weather, information regarding the user""s Internet service, and paid advertisements.
Homepage redirection has been accomplished in the prior art. For example, America Online (AOL) users, upon accessing the internet, are directed to an AOL homepage from which the users can select a variety of AOL services, and which includes advertising from various companies. Typically, direction of users to such a page benefits the ISP because advertisers pay money to the ISP each time a user accesses the Internet, as subscribers are a captive audience to advertising. Advertisers pay for such advertising not only because of the captive audience, but because advertisers can tailor advertisements based upon the typical audience accessing the internet. Furthermore, AOL may market its services through its homepage, and its homepage may be attractive to potential subscribers. Directing users to a particular. page may serve an additional function. Users may be directed to a particular page, such as a login page, so that the user may enter login information to be authenticated and authorized access on the network. Furthermore, users may wish to establish their own specialized portal page, such as a page including favorite links, a page linking the user to the user""s business, or a page including any other items relevant to the user.
However, such redirection of users to homepages has been traditionally based upon software installed on a user""s computer and/or configurations of user computers in communication with a home network. For example, where a user""s computer is appropriately configured for access to a home network, the user""s computer can be configured to access a particular homepage on that network. This can be the case, for example, in businesses where users computers are configured to access an intranet homepage or an internet page specific to that company and located on the internet.
Therefore, a method and system would be desirable which enables a user transparent access to a computer network employing a gateway device where the computer network can provide access to users and direct the users to portal pages established by the user, network administrator or another entity, where the direction is preferably based upon attributes associated with a user, such as the user""s location, identity, computer, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, such redirection should be able to redirect users to a login page when the user does not otherwise have access to online services or networks so that the user may login to be authenticated and authorized access on the network.
The present invention comprises a method and system for redirecting users to a portal page where users have transparent access to a computer network utilizing a gateway device. The method and system advantageously operates in a manner transparent to the user since the user need not reconfigure their computer and no additional software need be added to the computer for reconfiguration purposes.
According to the invention, users accessing the gateway device are redirected to a portal page. Where stored user profiles permit the users access to the destination network, the users can be forwarded to the destination network or a portal page established by the network, user, or another entity. Otherwise, users are directed to a login page in which the users must input user information so that the users can obtain access to networks and online services. The redirection function according to the present invention can be utilized to direct new or existing users to customized homepages established by the gateway device or individual users.
A method for dynamically creating new users having transparent computer access to a destination network is disclosed, wherein the users otherwise have access to a home network through home network settings resident on the users"" computers, and wherein the users can access the destination network without altering the home network settings. The method includes receiving at a gateway device a request from a user for access to a destination network, determining if the user is entitled access to the destination network based upon a user profile corresponding to the user and stored within a user profile database in communication with the gateway device, and redirecting the user to a login page when the user profile does not include rights to access the destination network. Furthermore, the method of the present invention can include the step of forwarding the user to the destination network when the user profile includes rights to access the destination network. The method can also include the step of automatically redirecting the user to a portal page following receipt of a request for access to the destination network prior to determining if the user is entitled access to the destination network
According to one aspect of the invention, the method can include the step of establishing a login page on a webserver local to the gateway device prior to redirecting the user to the login page. The method can also include accepting user information at the login page which is thereafter utilized by the gateway device to authorize the user access to the destination network. The user profile database can be updated with the user information.
According to another aspect of the invention, the user may be forwarded from the login page and returned to a portal page or directed to a destination address which can be an Internet destination address. Redirecting the user to a login page can include redirecting a browser located on the user""s computer to the login page. Furthermore, redirecting the browser located on the user""s computer can include receiving a Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request for the destination address and responding with an HTTP response corresponding to the login page.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a system for dynamically creating new users having transparent computer access to a destination network is disclosed, wherein the users otherwise have access to a home network through home network settings resident on the users"" computers, and wherein the users can access the destination network without altering the home network settings. The system includes a gateway device for receiving a request from a user for access to the destination network, and a user profile database comprising stored access information and in communication with the gateway device. The system further includes an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server in communication with the gateway device and user profile database, where the AAA server determines if a user is entitled to access the destination network based upon the access information stored within the user profile database, and wherein the AAA server redirects the user to a login page where the access information does not indicate the user""s right to access the destination network. The system can also direct the user to a portal page upon the user""s access to the network, prior to determining the access rights of the user.
According to one aspect of the invention, the login page is maintained local to the gateway device. The user profile database and AAA server can also be located within the gateway device. Furthermore, the user profile database can be located within the AAA server.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the user profile database includes a plurality of user profiles, wherein each respective user profile of the plurality of user profiles contains access information. In addition, each respective user profile may contain historical data relating to the duration of destination network access for use in determining the charges due for the destination network access.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a method for redirecting users having transparent computer access to a destination network is disclosed, wherein the users otherwise have access to a home network through home network settings resident on the users"" computers, and wherein the users can access the destination network without altering the home network settings. The method includes receiving at a gateway device a request from a user for access to a destination address, such as an Internet address, and redirecting the user to a portal page, wherein the user computer remains configured for accessing the home network, and wherein no additional configuration software need be installed on the user""s computer. Furthermore, redirecting the user to a portal page can comprise redirecting the user to a portal page created by an administrator associated with the portal page, or redirecting the user to a portal page customized by the user.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a system for redirecting users having transparent computer access to a destination network is disclosed, where the users otherwise have access to a home network through home network settings resident on the users"" computers, and wherein the users can access the destination network without altering the home network settings. The system includes a gateway device for receiving a request from a user for access to the destination network, and an AAA server in communication with the gateway device, where the AAA server intercepts the request from the user for access to the destination network and redirects the user to a portal page, wherein the user""s computer remains configured for accessing the home network, and wherein no additional configuration software need be installed on the user""s computer. According to one aspect of the invention, the AAA server is located entirely within the gateway device. The portal page of the system can also be maintained on a server local to the gateway device.
A unique advantage of the transparent redirection of users to a portal page, and, in certain circumstances from the portal page, to a login page where users subscribe for network access is that a user can obtain access to networks or online services without installing any software onto the user""s computer. On the contrary, the entire process is completely transparent to the user. As such, the method and apparatus of the present invention facilitates transparent access to destination networks without requiring a user to reconfigure the home network settings resident on the user computer and without having to install reconfiguration software.
The method and system of the various embodiments facilitate transparent access to a destination network. According to one embodiment, the method and system facilitate the addition of new subscribers to the network. According to another embodiment, all users can be redirected to a portal page, which can include advertising, without requiring reconfiguration of the users"" computers, or new software to be added on the users"" computers.